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Tag: rice

  • What Rice said to Slovakia coach after Euro win

    What Rice said to Slovakia coach after Euro win

    Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice fired a barrage of insults at Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona at the end of their Euros round 16 win.

    England came from behind to win 2-1 in extra-time.

    At the final whistle, Rice and Calzona entered a shoving match with the England midfielder being held back by teammates.

    Rice called Calzona a “bald c***” at the end of the game.

    As revealed by lipreader Jeremy Freeman, a furious Rice said: “Shut up, p***y, oi, shut up, you bald c***.”

    England will meet Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

  • Ogun government begins sales of rice at discounted price to consumers

    Ogun government begins sales of rice at discounted price to consumers

    Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, at the weekend, commenced the sale of rice to civil servants in the state as parts of his commitment to the welfare of the workforce.
    The event took place at the ‘Oja Irorun’ Civil Servants Farmers’ Market at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
    Governor Abiodun, who was represented by the Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya said the occasion was a significant step in the ongoing efforts of the state government at improving the living standards of workers in the state.
    The governor praised the dedication and the commitment of the workers to service, which he noted contributed immensely to the success achieved by his administration.
    “Ogun State civil servants’ dedication and hard work form the bedrock of the progress and prosperity of our dear state. Recognising this invaluable essence of workers to the actualisation of the policies and programmes of the state government, the administration has graciously approved the sale of high quality bags of rice at discounted prices exclusively to the workforce,” the governor said.
    Prince Abiodun urged workers across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to take full advantage of the opportunity and embrace the good gesture by the state government.
    In his welcome address, the Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Establishments and Training, Mrs. Lydia Fajounbo appreciated the government for the initiative, which is one of the many interventions by the government to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal for the state workforce.
    The Head of Service, however, urged the workers to reciprocate the good gesture of government by remaining dedicated to duties and collectively work for the progress of the state.
    In their separate goodwill messages, the Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC), Comrade Isa Olude and his counterpart from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ademola Ahmed-Benco, appreciated the state government for the initiative, which they said, would restore the purchasing power of the people and promote the welfare of workers.
    The union leaders added that the gesture was a testament that the state has a caring and listening governor whom they are proud of, and charged the workers to reciprocate the gesture by effectively and efficiently discharging their statutory duties.
    Two of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Temitope Akintayo from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as well as Mr. Olabanji Sanni, from the Ministry of Environment, thanked the state government for putting the process into motion and promised to keep working assiduously towards effective service delivery.
    The bags of rice were handed over to the beneficiaries by Mr. Onasanya on behalf of the government while buses were also provided at no cost to convey the workers from the venue of the programme to a reasonable distance.
    It would be recalled that the Prince Abiodun-led administration has been made concerted efforts towards ensuring that the workforce and the entire people of the Gateway State are shielded as much as possible from the attendant effects of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government through various interventions.
    The interventions  include provision of monthly cash palliative, payment of peculiar allowance to deserving workers, provision of CNG buses workers and the citizens as well as the unprecedented payment of a robust end of year bonus to all civil/public servants of the State last December, amongst others.
  • Two Arsenal players risk suspension ahead of Bayern clash

    Two Arsenal players risk suspension ahead of Bayern clash

    Arsenal duo of Kai Havertz and Declan Rice are walking a disciplinary tightrope ahead of the Champions League quarter-final first-leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

    Havertz and Rice are both one booking away from suspension.

    If either of the two players receives a yellow card at the Emirates, they will be banned from playing in the second leg at the Allianz Arena.

    Gunners boss, Mikel Arteta, will be hoping that isn’t the game as Rice and Havertz have been key to their fine season.

    Bayern is faced with a similar problem themselves. Were either Alphonso Davies or Leon Goretzka to pick up yellow cards, then they too would be out of action for the return leg on March 17.

    All yellow cards accumulated over the course of the competition are wiped after the quarter-final stage, to prevent players from missing the final through too many yellow cards.

  • Why price of rice is skyrocketing – Farmers

    Why price of rice is skyrocketing – Farmers

    Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has called on the government at all levels to prioritise ending farmer-herder conflicts as well as kidnapping in order to ensure reduction in the price of rice.

    Mrs Nnenna Ejim, Vice President of RIFAN, who made the call in an interview on Saturday in Abuja, attributed the current hike in price of rice to insecurity, farmer-herder crisis, hike in input and rice blast.

    Ejim identified other contributing factors to non-implementation of government policy like the anchor borrower programme, lack of insurance coverage for farmers, climate change, among others.

    She  decried that a lot of farmers were not able to process or harvest their crops last year due to fear of being killed or kidnapped.

    “Government policy on anchor borrower was not implemented last year because of election and other factors like COVID-19 impact has created a huge gap in rice cultivation hence the hike.

    “Russian-Ukraine war is affecting us seriously because they are the greatest provider of fertiliser and other input which we are the moment we have difficulties getting such input.

    “The way forward in ensuring drastic reduction in price of rice is that government should prioritise security of its populace both in the farms and around communities.

    “Farmers should be given inputs at subsidise rate and also enlighten farmers on climate smart agriculture so that they will not risk their lives or production trying to cultivate areas with lots of flood.

    “There should be an issue of insurance package or coverage for farmers and making sure that insurance companies come to farmers rescue in the event of any disaster,’’ she said.

    Current price of 50kg bag of rice ranges from N70,000 to N80,000 depending on quality as against last year’s price which ranged from N32,000 to N36000.

  • CARTOON OF THE DAY: Affordable rice

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: Affordable rice

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: Affordable rice

  • HARDSHIP: Customs set to distribute cheap rice again, after stampede

    HARDSHIP: Customs set to distribute cheap rice again, after stampede

    After the stampede that killed seven Nigerians while buying cheap rice, the Nigerian Customs Service is set to embark on another distribution of the essential commodity.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) recalls that after the stampede the Customs had to temporarily halt the sale of rice at N10,000.00 for 25kg.

    Apparently this is in response to the escalating prices of food items causing hardship for Nigerians, the Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Ogun Command, has unveiled plans for another round of distributing seized rice and other essentials to citizens. This initiative awaits finalization of modalities by the Federal Government.

    The command highlights the necessity of stringent modalities to avert incidents like the tragic one in Lagos, where armed individuals in camouflage attempted to disrupt a distribution venue, resulting in casualties.

    Recalling the previous distribution exercise initiated by the NCS under the directive of the Federal Government, the Area Controller of the Oyo/Osun Command, Ben Oramalugo, emphasized the imperative of providing affordable food amidst current shortages and soaring prices. Speaking at the command headquarters in Ibadan, Oramalugo affirmed the government’s directive to distribute seized rice at subsidized rates to alleviate Nigerians’ plight.

    He assured the public of the NCS’s commitment to conducting a transparent and equitable distribution process. Eligible beneficiaries will undergo thorough screening and verification to ensure fairness and prevent abuse.

    This initiative seeks to alleviate the hardship faced by many families, demonstrating the government’s dedication to ensuring access to affordable food during challenging times.

  • Hardship: Governor Dapo Abiodun unveils subsidized rice for residents

    Hardship: Governor Dapo Abiodun unveils subsidized rice for residents

    Following the high cost of food in the country, the Ogun State government has purchased 100 truckloads of rice to be sold at cheaper rates to residents of the state in order to cushion the effect of the rise in the prices of goods in the country.

    This special package was disclosed on Thursday by the governor Dapo Abiodun  while speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abeokuta.

    According to Abiodun, rice would be subsidized and made available at the rate it was before the recent astronomical rise in the prices of the commodities.

    He, however, said the poor, the elderly, and the vulnerable would enjoy free allocation.

    “We have decided to give our people foodstuffs like rice, garri, beans. I have ordered almost 100 trailers of rice, they will start offloading them tomorrow (today).

    “We have decided that the poor, the elderly, and the vulnerable will be given the rice free of charge, while others will have to buy the rice at the price we formally bought it before the dollar rose very high so that it won’t be one-off and we can continue till the issue of the dollar is settled,” he said.

    Abiodun assured the people of Ogun State that President Bola Tinubu was fully in charge of the economy.

    “Everything we are experiencing at the moment is very transient, it will soon pass away. With the plan that he (Tinubu) has begun to implement, you will soon begin to see the change. We must remain very hopeful,” Abiodun said.

  • Agric Ministry denies sharing Tinubu’s rice palliatives

    Agric Ministry denies sharing Tinubu’s rice palliatives

    The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has disclosed President Bola Tinubu did not release rice for distribution as palliatives during the festive season.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Joel Oruche, Director of Information of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security made the disclosure on Tuesday.

    In a statement released on behalf of the Minister, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Oruche disclosed that the rice being distributed concerns constituency projects.

    He said the rice palliatives under constituency projects were budgeted for under the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation.

    According to him, the implementation process for the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation is on-going.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has been drawn to stories making the rounds that the Ministry is delaying the distribution of rice palliative and wish to state as follows;

    “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is not distributing any palliative.

    “The issue under reference concerns constituency projects budgeted for under the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation and domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

    “It is common knowledge that funds for National Assembly constituency projects are domiciled in the relevant Ministry for purposes of implementation.

    “The implementation process for the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation is on-going.

    “Constituency projects in this instance cover a range of needs of the constituents including staple grains and some agricultural infrastructure as determined by respective members of the National Assembly.

    FG restates commitment to food security

    Meanwhile, the Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to ensure food security in the country.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, stated this when Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State paid him a courtesy call on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said that Katsina State remained one of the frontline states in the quest to achieve President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

    “There is no gainsaying that we are out to achieve Mr President’s agenda of food security, poverty reduction and job creation,” he said.

    Kyari said that the ministry was also committed to achieving the Federal Government’s plan to cultivate 500,000 hectares of arable lands to ensure food security.

    “Like I mentioned before, we have to collaborate with the states and local governments to come up with genuine and verifiable farmers list.

    “This is very important because we have to know who the real farmers are, and by so doing we have to collaborate with the local authorities.

    “This is so they can buy into our programmes, and so we can succeed in what we set out to do,” he said.

    Earlier, Gov. Radda disclosed that insecurity affecting food production and security of lives and property had been reduced by 70 per cent in Katsina.

    Radda said that without adequately tackling insecurity, there couldn’t be food production due to the activities of criminal elements in the state.

    He said that these criminal elements had previously made it very tough for farmers to access their farms.

    The governor said that plans were underway to revive the livestock industry in the state.

    “We want to revive the livestock industry, and we want to create a livestock centre in Katsina, which will encompass everything from fattening and pasture development to artificial insemination centres.

    “It will also include meat processing and cooling chains, use of cargo terminal in the state in agreement with neighbouring countries to export meat products.

    “We want to process cow meat and take it to Lagos, and that is a huge investment; we are looking for a lot of partners who are interested in this initiative.

    “Katsina is also the highest producer of maize in this country.

    “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security should give Katsina a priority in maize production, just as Jigawa was given priority in wheat production,” Radda said.

  • Orji Kalu’s rice not FG’s palliative – Aide

    Orji Kalu’s rice not FG’s palliative – Aide

    The Sen. Orji Kalu Media Office says the 30,000 bags of rice and cash donated by the senator to 13 villages in Igbere community is not part of Federal Government palliative.

    The office stated this in a statement by Mr Emmanuel Odoemelam in Aba on Monday.

    “The Senate Committee Chairman made the gesture out of his magnanimity as such has lasted since 1986 before he joined politics.

    “He personally supervised the sharing formula of the largesse to make sure no group was short-changed.

    “The palliatives were personally funded and not from federal government,” he said.

    He said that Kalu had the human heart to make the lives of his constituents worth living.

    “He is doing everything possible to reduce the pressure of the harsh economic situation on his constituents,” he said.

    He advised those making such insinuations to cease but appreciate commitment toward enhancing the people’s wellbeing.

    “When it is time to share constituency projects, such will be announced publicly.

    “Kalu is a detribalised global citizen who thinks of humanity first as all categories of persons have felt his impact as a senator,’’ he said.

  • Share Tinubu’s rice now – MURIC sends strong warning to lawmakers

    Share Tinubu’s rice now – MURIC sends strong warning to lawmakers

    The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on members of the National Assembly (NASS) to ensure proper distribution of thousands of bags of rice and other foodstuffs recently given to them for sharing by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    MURIC said this in a statement issued on Friday, by its Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola in Abuja.

    “Each of Nigeria’s 109 Senators allegedly received N200 million worth of foodstuffs while their 360 counterparts in the House of Representatives were given N100 million worth each.

    “Although a honourable member of the House from Edo was seen in a video gone viral displaying a warehouse filled with thousands of bags of rice, some senators and reps are still denying that they collected palliatives from the president.

    “We see this as an attempt to mull or trivialize the Federal Government’s efforts at ameliorating the sufferings of the hoi polloi. Some of our lawmakers are causing confusion.

    “How can only one lawmaker openly show his constituents thousands of bags of rice while the rest keep mum? How can the reps admit collecting massive palliatives while senators deny receiving anything. Is the Senate filled with saboteurs and confusionists,” Akintola said.

    He added:“MURIC demands urgent and immediate clarification from the leaderships of both Senate and the House of Representatives. Where are their spokespersons? They must speak up before it is too late. Delay is dangerous. Nigerians are hungry. This is the kind of thing that provokes the people. Procrastination is the thief of time. Anarchists look for lacuna like this to spread their tales of horror in order to incite the masses against government.

    “We appeal to the remaining members of the House who have received the palliatives to quickly begin the sharing among their constituents.  We also remind them to add publicity to the exercise. This release of a humongous number of bags of foodstuffs deserves an equally aggressive information outflow.

    “There are too many enemies of progress out there spreading falsehood and the only way to silence them is to spread information about positive acts of government whenever it happens.

    “Meanwhile we appeal to the good Nigerian people to exercise a little patience while the logistics are being sorted out by the lawmakers. This is definitely no fault of the government. Tinubu and Shettima have done what they should do by rolling out palliatives. The rest is in the hanhuman ds of our lawmakers.”

    “MURIC will like to assure Nigerians that we will not stop calling out the lawmakers until they distribute what they have received. We are not just here for Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslims alone. We are also here for the welfare of every single Nigerian regardless of creed, ethnicity or gender.

    “Our vision of Nigeria is that of a nation where people live together in peace and harmony, a nation in which no one is oppressed, where every citizen enjoys Allah-given fundamental human rights regardless of class, creed, or ethnicity.

    “We remain oppressed until those golden principles of Islamic liberation theology are actualized, namely, freedom of worship for all, emancipation for the oppressed, justice for the persecuted, jobs for the jobless, food for the hungry, healing for the sick, clothing apparels for the naked and shelter for the homeless”.